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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23018338">A Rose Amongst Foxes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/springcalls/pseuds/springcalls'>springcalls</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Fantasy, Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, M/M, Uchiha Sasuke-centric</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:47:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>410</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23018338</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/springcalls/pseuds/springcalls</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Almost a millennia of war comes to an anti-climatic end. Wonderland is trying to pick up the pieces and Juugo's trying to do the same. Only, the pieces he's trying to pick up may be too broken to fix.</i>
</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hatake Kakashi/Uchiha Sasuke, Juugo/Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Rose Amongst Foxes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Juugo spends most of his days now in the garden. A place seemingly frozen in time while the world outside continues on. It seems impossible; that there would be a world that existed outside the confines of Sasuke. But Juugo understands now that no matter how big the force once was, how terrible or desperate, it all would eventually come to a stop, the land will go on, the sun will rise the next day. </p><p>In a way, Juugo supposes, he should count his blessings and consider himself lucky. But there’s really no comfort in knowing that, the satisfaction is empty and cold. He wonders what the Hatter is up to, or as he’s come to know him by his common name, Naruto. </p><p>Sure, Naruto is alive, and will continue to live on. But does Naruto remember sometimes? Think about the ways in which Sasuke could so easily twist his own strings of fate with others so even if he were to cut them, the severed ends never cease to stop entangling themselves with each other. </p><p><em> It’s funny. </em> Juugo thinks to himself, because Sasuke always remarked in that strange, charming, child-like way of his that Juugo isn't to go on first without him. </p><p><em> That’s an order. </em> He had told Juugo, a promise that his life was not his own, that he lived because Sasuke did. Juugo understands this was the way with all of them, they had all loved Sasuke in a way that meant their lives were no longer their own to do and die with. </p><p>That’s the effect Sasuke had on you; an inescapable force of nature that could take away your own need to breathe if he demanded it. </p><p>Perhaps it would be arrogant to say so now, that he sees his promise with Sasuke as different from the others. A rather useless claim, Juugo recognizes, but it matters to him. He was the first, and he was the last. He can hear Karin now telling him to stop wasting time dwelling on things that can no longer be answered, <em> you’ll just give yourself a headache. </em></p><p><em> We all loved him, Juugo, it’s not just you who has to wake up everyday knowing everything's changed. </em> He recalls Karin actually saying once when she found him in the dirt at the end of the garden, Sasuke’s roses bathing him in their petals.</p><p><em> We need you. </em> </p><p>
  <em> He needs me.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Juugo, you have to let him go. </em>
</p><p>So life goes on. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A world I've poked at for many, many years. Might as well post it finally. Next chapter will be full length.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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